Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1887-02-17
pIscouRTEsY's ROCK.
sen,ible Words OF Warning to Young Mar
ried People and Others.

sen,ible Words OF Warning tn Young Mar
rled People and Others.
OF all social failings discourtcsy 10
the most fatal and most common. Hus.
bands speak roughly to their wives, and
wives "nag" their husbands; brothers
are rude; sister, are tyrannical; all op.
pose, contradict, annoy one another,
and no one thinks it incumbent upon
him or on her to keep that check on the
temper and that paddock on the lips
which would be y matter OF obligation
IL a stranger were present. Though
there would be infinite distrcss-mourn-
ing and lamentation unspeakable-
should one of the cross-graincd brood
die. there Is a general atmosphere OF
storm. threatened or brokcnloose. which
makes living in such home damaging
to the character and distrcssful to tho
sensibilities. Here comes In the ad.
vantage Of discipline and the value OF
wise authority. Here comes In. con.
trariwisc. the evils Of this modern
laxity-,his abrogation Of authority
when parents have let the rcins drop
from their hands, and discipline-not
tyranny. not undue coercion. but the
moral pressure which is the result OF
experience and knowlcdge-is rs effete
..s the dodo. We shall not do better in
the next generation. and we shall have
10 wait now for the time when some
great religious passion or national
emotion shall knit society together
again and restore the essential spirit OF
discipline by the coherent force OF a
causc-an idca--a faith. Here is
where religion, when sincere
and personally applied, is so
valuable. 1t supplies the motive for
self-control. the obligation for that pa
tience and forbcarance with each other
which create sweetness OF temper and
courtesy of manner. And here 1t is
that irrcligion is so hurtful when peo.
pie have not enough moral force to sup
ply by sclf.respect and consideration for
others that absolute control over their
baser nature which has been lost by
abiuration OF authority. Those who
have taken to heart the sweet aud ten
der precepts of Christianity would neees-
sarily be courteous, gentle, OF patient
temper. of complying ways. And If,
unfortunately, a great deal OF what Is
called piety cxhalcs itself in Journalism
here and barren dogmas there. the re-
siduum turns its precepts into
practice. and that divine peace which
rcigns within has its expression with
out. and the radiance OF the home
matches the sunshine of the heart.
Young wives and husband can not be
too strongly reminded of the probable
shipwrcck they will make of their hap
piness il they yield to that ill-tcmpcr
when expresses itself IN discourtcsy'
want of compliance, unnecessary OPP
position, and. above all, that most
disastrous amusement OF "nagging'
and creating row. Hundreds OF house,
holds have gone wrong for the mere
want of checking in time tho habit OF
annoying rs n relief 10 n momentary
feeling of irritation or discomfort. The
wife who gets into the way OF con-
tradicting, of checking" her husband,
of opposing him in small things and
standing out in large ones-thc hus-
band. who is snecring. contemptuous,
tyrannical. fault-iinding - perhaps
neither side knowing the whole extent
of its folly. but just giving way to it n
more easy than to fight and conquer it
these young people are doing their
best TO dig grave OF their married
peace; and some day poor,
pale, fainting little love will
fall into it, stark and plumcless, and
will never rise to life again. In the
beginning these little tiirs and discom-
forts arc made up with kiss from him
and few tears from her TO add cement
to the reconciliation. BY time the tiffs
are more acrid and the reconciliation is
less warm. BY still further time this
never comes at all, and things get into
that chronic state when there is never
an open breach and never n formal
healing, but an overwhelming rift and
a never-cnding coldness. Then the two
lives jar and grind like rusty hinges
locks which misit the slots; wheels
where the axle is stifr-or any thing else
which should work together in harmony
and smoothncss. but which, for want OF
care to keep the adjustment exact (per'
haps for want of oil to the joints). crcak
and chaic and hang and do not fit, to
the annoyance. and more. Of all the
bystanders. Journal.